The Mayor works full-time, managing the day-to-day operations of the City and providing leadership and policy direction to the City Council. The Mayor chairs all meetings of the City Council,
voting only in the case of a tie. The six members of the City Council work part-time, holding budget and policy-setting authority for the city. The Mayor and City Council members are elected
at large by popular vote. City Council members are elected to a specific Council seat, but the seats are not determined geographically. City elections are held in odd number years (e.g. 2007, 2009, 2011).

Members of City Council are (L to R): Council President Pro Tem Elaine Clegg,
Council Member TJ Thomson,
Council President Lauren McLean,
Mayor David H. Bieter,
Council Member Lisa E. Sánchez,
Council Member Holli Woodings
and Council Member Scot Ludwig

Planning and Training

The mission of the Planning and Training Section is to provide high quality products and programs to department employees, empowering them with the tools and training to give superior service to the citizens of Boise.

Programs

The Planning and Training Section manages and coordinates a number of programs that support the operation and administration of the Boise Police Department and the performance and safety of officers and civilian personnel. These include:

Operation of a police department for a city the size of Boise is expensive. We are continually searching for grant funding that may be available from federal and private sources to help defray the costs of equipment and programs.

Factilities and Planning

The Boise City Police Department currently shares space with the Ada County Sheriffs Office in a facility that was constructed during the 1970s. The tremendous growth in Boise City and Ada County and the resulting increase in the size of the two law enforcement agencies have far exceeded the capacity of this facility. The police department now leases space in various parts of the city and is attempting to acquire a new facility through either construction or renovation of an existing structure.

Organizational Development and Staffing Analysis

The needs of the Boise community are ever growing and changing and the departments organization and staffing must grow and change with it. The Planning and Training Section conducts frequent analysis of staffing needs and looks for ways to improve organizational effectiveness.

Research, Surveys, and Staff Studies

The Planning and Training Staff have developed a network of contacts with international police organizations and departments throughout the United States. Through this network, we are able to acquire data, information, policies, and technology that help to keep the Boise Police Department among the best in the country.

Training of News Officers and Civilian Employees

Before they are considered fully qualified as a Boise Police Officer, recruits must go through the 22-week BPD Patrol Academy and 9 - 14 weeks of Field Training. As a part of this training, they are carefully evaluated and must demonstrate that they can meet the high performance and ethical standards of the department.

Civilian personnel normally come to the department with education and experience in their specialty fields. When hired, they undergo a New Employee Orientation Program that orients them to the city, the Police Department, and their particular assignments.

Ongoing Training of Officers and New Employees

Once qualified as an officer, the individual must complete annual in-service training that ensures that qualifications and proficiency are maintained, certifications are kept current, and new policies and technologies are implemented. Training focuses on such areas as officer safety, defensive tactics, emergency vehicle operation, weapons proficiency, policies and procedures, ethics, and workplace harassment. Officers also have the opportunity to attend specialized training courses that will enhance their skills and knowledge and prepare them to advance in their careers.

Although there are many fewer civilian employees than officers and opportunities for advancement are limited, civilians may attend many of the same in-service and specialized training courses that are available to officers. They also have the opportunity to attend highly specialized training in their particular fields.

Training of Development of Department Leaders

It is our goal that all employees attend training in the leadership philosophies and practices that we aspire to implement throughout the department. These include the principles of Total Quality Leadership, such as empowerment, communications, and teambuilding. Training includes a 24-hour introductory leadership course and a two-hour presentation and workshop in Total Quality Leadership Principles.

As employees move into supervisory and management positions, they receive more advanced leadership training. For sworn personnel, this may include the Field Commanders Course, a 16-hour advanced leadership course, Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, and the FBI National Academy. Civilian personnel may also attend some of these courses, depending upon the positions they hold within the department.

Homeland Security and Incident Management Training

The National Incident Management System (NIMS), implemented by direction of the President of the United States following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, requires all emergency response agencies to meet certain criteria in order to continue receiving federal grant funding. These criteria include the institutionalization of the Incident Command System (ICS); training of all first responders in NIMS, ICS, and other areas important to national security; and participation in exercises and other preparedness activities. The Boise Police Department has trained all personnel in these areas and is meeting all NIMS compliance requirements.

Muliti-Agency Planning, Training, and Coordination

The safety of Boise citizens, as well as first responders, depends on how well emergency responders are able to communicate and work together on routine incidents as well as large incidents and events. Since 2003, the Boise Police Department, Boise Fire Department, and Ada County Emergency Medical Services have participated in an ongoing program of planning, training, and exercises, the goal of which is to . . . improve public and employee safety through communication, coordination, and information-sharing. This program has been viewed as a model for other Idaho cities and may be expanded to include other Boise City departments.